


Forward

by arsenicprince



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Comfort/Angst, Friendship, Other, death of "not important" characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2017-03-05
Packaged: 2018-09-28 13:12:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10102340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arsenicprince/pseuds/arsenicprince
Summary: After the fall of Overwatch it was hard not to feel that all was lost. Though, sometimes the collapse of a family has an ability to bring together two people who never thought they would call each other friends.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I disappear and come back with an angst fic, whoops. It seemed like an interesting idea that I wanted to play with.

When the fall of Overwatch happened, Angela was too busy being washed away in its current to properly have time to mourn the loss of her commanding officers and friends. When she resurrected Gabriel, only to bring back a wraith instead, a wraith that hated her and through teeth gritted in pain swore he would hunt her down and make her pay for this, she still had no time to mourn the loss of those who not only were the greatest colleagues she could have, but her family. No, it wasn’t until the official funeral was held, did all of it finally sink in. The remaining members of Overwatch were left to bury the coffins of their family, their friends, and their partners. Even Reinhardt, the goliath of a man, broke down in front of the graves of the people most important to him. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Seeing Reinhardt, who had been like a father to Angela, a man who had been the foundation that held together the team for so long, break down sobbing was enough to finally let the doctor’s collected façade shatter.  


Angela couldn’t remember the last time she allowed herself to cry, even when she had lost both of the Lacroix’s, who were dear friends of hers, she didn’t shed a tear; she had been more caught up in her mistakes of letting Amelie go instead of proceeding with further analysis. Even when her own parents died, she was still a child, but she was determined to continue her research instead of mourn. Maybe that was just her way of coping with it, to shoulder the blame and say she could have done more. It was hard not to think that death was just determined to take all of her family away from her at this point.  


The funeral had been held on an appropriately dreary day. Most of what remained of the team had left, Reinhardt had been escorted away by a very solemn looking Torbjorn with the promise of drinks so they could share stories of their fallen brothers. Angela stayed a while longer, hands running through already messy blonde hair. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what she looked like right now, she knew her hair was a mess, and she knew there would be dark bags under her eyes from many sleepless nights. Night spend haunted by what she had done t Gabriel. She had given up on the idea of trying to fix what happened, but it still left a bitter taste in her mouth to know that the coffin buried six feet under marked with the name Gabriel Reyes, was empty.  


The silence was interrupted as a man cross her field of vision. Blue eyes watched in curiosity as Jesse McCree knelt down in front of Reyes’ grave, the man had even had the courtesy to take off that god awful cowboy hat he always insisted on wearing. She couldn’t hear what he whispered under his breath; she knew Jesse had considered Reyes to be the father he never had. Angela could understand that connection.  
It felt like an eternity before Jesse stood, the knees of his slacks caked in mud from where he knelt. He turned towards Angela as he placed his hat back on, and for a brief moment the doctor could have sworn she saw a streak of tears roll down Jesse’s cheek.  


“How long have you been sittin’ here, Doc?”  


Jesse took a few steps to cross to where Angela sat on a bench, sitting next to her but still giving the doctor enough space to feel comfortable. The two had never really gotten along in the past. It wasn’t as if Angela hated Jesse, she just found him reckless and unreliable. When Gabe had brought him back all of those years ago she had sided with Jack saying that the boy was too dangerous, he didn’t have proper training. Of course, Jesse proved them wrong.  


Angela shook the bittersweet memories from her head, no longer wanting to think of how Gabe’s eyes lit up in amusement when Jesse had shot five target in a row flawlessly and the dumbstruck look on Jack’s face as he assessed, nor did she want to remember how Ana had laughed from the sidelines telling Jack that he had no more excuses left.  


Angela didn’t realize she was crying again until she felt Jesse’s cold metal arm on her shoulder.  


“Angie,” his voice was surprisingly soft.  


“Huere verdammte, I should have been there,” Angela’s voice cracked as tears streamed down her face. “I should have saved them.”  


Jesse was quick to respond, wrapping his arm around Angela’s shoulder, bringing her into a half hug as he let her cry.  


“Doc, there was nothing any of us could do,” she could hear his voice shake. “We were falling apart even before then, there was nothing that could have stopped Gabe.”  


They stayed like that for a while, until neither of them had any tears left to shed. Even the sky seemed to have given up on mourning the loss of the commanders of Overwatch. There was no sun to peek through, but the rain had finally passed, leaving a gloom in the air.  


Angela sniffed before a small fragile laugh escaped from her throat, “Jesse let go; you smell like cheap cigars and gunpowder.”  


Angela made a mock effort in trying to escape his grasp, her face contorting in displeasure before he finally took pity on her and freed her to enjoy the fresh air his laughter filling the air.  


“You know,” Jesse leaned back against the bench, eyes focused on nothing as he gazed up. “I don’t think we’ve ever sat down together and talked.”  


“I guess not.”  


A comfortable silence fell over them as they both looked towards the grave stones; Jack Morrison, Gabriel Reyes, and Ana Amari. All three leaders, heroes, their family. All three shunned in the eyes of the people who turned their back on the peace Overwatch strived for. At least both of them would tell themselves that all three of them died as heroes. Jesse wasn’t willing to speak ill of Gabe, and Angela wasn’t willing to admit that she experimented on him, bringing him back from what should have been the end he sought.  


“What are we supposed to do next?”  


Angela didn’t expect an answer, it was a question whispered out meant to be carried away by the wind. A question she hoped that either Jack or Ana could somehow give an answer to. They were always great at keeping her going when she thought she hit a dead end. Strike Commander Morrison and his firm, military demeanor that would crumble away when he rushed to assure Angela that she was doing fantastic, Captain Amari who would stop by with a cup of coffee made to Angela’s liking and tea for herself to remind Angela to take a break and not become so engrossed in her own work that she forgot to take care of herself. The doctor was at a loss, what would she do without them?  


“Keep on goin’,” McCree’s words were firm, as if he was surer of this than anything else in his life. “We need to keep fightin’ for their legacies. Captain wouldn’t wanna see us quit like this, none of them would.”  
He ruffled her hair in what was supposed to be a comforting action, but Angela only swatted his hand away, but still a small smile graced her lips.  


“That might have been the most eloquent thing you’ve ever said.”  


Jesse grinned rubbing the back of his neck, “Awww, doc, you sure know how to make a cowboy blush.”  


Angela reached over and tugged the brim of his hat down over his eyes, “And now you’ve ruined it.”  


Even in the dreary weather, even with the sadness welling in their hearts, a sadness that they knew may never go away. The two of them found it in them to laugh, because they were all they had left. The original members of Overwatch would be scattered around the globe, waiting in hopes for the day they would be called back into action, but in this moment Angela let herself enjoy the bond that built between her and Jesse, without it, she might have never continued to push herself forward.


End file.
